Tories facing internal fight over ban on third runway

The Standard has learned that members of the shadow cabinet, Conservative backbenchers and activists are unhappy that the pledge has closed off the option of extra capacity at Britain's biggest airport.

Ms Villiers announced her landmark decision to categorically rule out a third runway yesterday after being given the go-ahead by David Cameron and winning around a majority of senior colleagues.

The move represented a significant hardening of the Tories' position.

Green groups were delighted by the decision to come out firmly against a third runway and instead focus on a new high-speed rail link between central London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. The new rail link would ensure no one had to take domestic flights from Heathrow, Ms Villiers said.

But business was furious, with British Airways, BAA and London First all warning that London's competitive edge would be badly hit and jobs would be lost.

One member of the shadow cabinet said that while the new high-speed link was a good idea, there had been no need to rule out a third runway: "Why close off an option at this stage?"

David Wilshire, Tory MP for Spelthorne near Heathrow, was "alarmed and disappointed" by his party's decision.

He said: "Heathrow's runways are full. Solving existing problems (as well as meeting future demand) requires a new runway. Lack of runway capacity is also costing Heathrow routes and passengers. If this continues my constituents face redundancies and even greater falls in house values."

Tory blogs were also full of complaints from activists.

However, other Tories said it made political sense to propose a rail link that could help win key marginals in the north-west and west Midlands.

The party is also hoping to clean up on marginals in west London, where many residents oppose expansion.